US Authorities Arrest Army Green Beret Over Alleged Insider Trading on Venezuela Raid

The US Department of Justice has taken a master sergeant from the Army into custody, alleging that he used confidential government information for personal financial gain by betting on the outcome of a military operation in Venezuela. The sergeant, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, allegedly participated in the operation to apprehend former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and then placed bets worth $33,000 on the event, ultimately winning around $400,000. According to the indictment, Van Dyke used his knowledge of the impending raid to inform his bets, which were placed through the online platform Polymarket between December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026. The US Attorney's office stated that Van Dyke's actions constitute a clear case of insider trading, which is illegal under federal law. In addition to the criminal charges, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is pursuing a complaint against Van Dyke for insider trading. Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier with the US Army Special Forces, also known as the 'green berets,' was involved in the planning and execution of the operation to detain Maduro. Following the raid, Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his winnings by converting them to a different cryptocurrency and transferring the funds into a brokerage account. The investigation into Van Dyke's activities was initiated after news organizations noticed that someone had made significant profits from bets related to the Venezuela raid. Van Dyke's case has drawn comments from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his disapproval of the use of confidential information for betting purposes, describing the world as having become 'a casino.'